Central Australia Waterwise

Water Resources NT offers a range of resources that support water efficiency in the southern region. To preserve our water supply we need to make changes to our lifestyle. Explore these web pages to find out ways you and your household can become more Waterwise.

WHY SAVE WATER?

Alice Springs residents are among the highest water users anywhere in Australia and we are using a non-renewable water source. The water in Alice Springs comes from the Mereenie aquifer and is over ten thousand years old with almost no modern recharge. The water table at the Roe Creek borefield which supplies potable water to Alice Springs has dropped 70 metres since pumping began in the 1970s, and every year it falls another 1 to 1.5 metres deeper.

The graph below shows average household water use. Every capital city has reduced its water consumption in the last five years by at least 20%. Brisbane has reduced its water use by over 65%. In 2010-11 Alice Springs had a high rainfall compared to previous years and in 2011-12 average use was back up to 470 kilolitres per household per year, which is more than 140 buckets of water a day!

We live in a hot, arid climate and therefore we can expect to use more water than other regions in Australia. However, a lot of our water use is unnecessary and can be reduced. Recent household audits have found that one in three households in Alice Springs has undetected leaks and 80% of homes water their garden up to twice as much as it needs to stay healthy. So there are a lot of things we can all do to save water and reduce our water bill.